Will and Kate take fans behind the scenes at a Buckingham Palace ceremony

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have given royal fans a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes of official ceremonies at Buckingham Palace.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's social media team posted the video on the Kensington Palace Instagram stories. It takes fans through an investiture ceremony, where people are awarded honours such as MBEs, OEBs and knighthoods.

The Cambridges showed royal fans what it takes to prepare for a ceremony. (AP/AAP)

In a series of photos, insignia are shown being prepared at St James' Palace, where they are polished and cleaned ahead of presentation.

The insignia are then laid out in order in the Ballroom at Buckingham Palace, where final checks are made by one of the Queen's staff members before the ceremony.

One image shows the preparation of the sword that is used to dub new knights. It once belonged to the Queen's father, King George VI.